This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including recent polling related to Trump’s Day One executive orders, new polling on oil and gas subsidies, and a new study of Americans’ attitudes about climate justice.

Headlines 

AP + NORC – There is little public support for increasing drilling on public lands or withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement [Release, Topline]

Navigator – Voters across parties lean in favor of ending subsidies for oil and gas companies [Release, Deck, Topline]

Yale + GMU – Americans are inclined to support climate justice goals, but most Americans – including those who are concerned about climate change – aren’t familiar with the concept [Release, Public Postprint]

Key Takeaways 

There is little public appetite for Trump’s Day One actions on climate and energy. Polling Americans shortly before Inauguration Day, AP and NORC found that most Americans don’t want to increase drilling on public lands or to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement – putting the public at odds with two of the major actions that Trump took on Day One of his second term. Public opinion on these issues is likely to change somewhat in the coming weeks, as there is a segment of the electorate that will reflexively rally behind any decision Trump makes (as well as a segment that will reflexively rally against any of his decisions). It’s also worth noting that voters are not inclined to give Trump the benefit of the doubt on environmental issues: exit-style polls in November showed that voters trusted Harris over Trump by a wide margin to deal with climate change, and also that his own supporters had relatively little faith in him to handle the issue.

Voters across the political spectrum are on board with ending oil and gas subsidies. In presenting voters with a number of potential budget cuts that Republicans in Congress could pursue, Navigator finds that far more voters support than oppose ending subsidies for oil and gas companies. Further, a majority of Republican voters say that they support ending fossil fuel subsidies. These findings are consistent with previous research: a 2023 survey by Yale and George Mason, for example, found that around two-thirds of voters – including the majority of Republicans – agree that fossil fuel companies should not receive financial support from the government.

Good Data Points to Highlight

• [Paris Climate Agreement] Only 21% of Americans support withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, with 52% opposed [AP + NORC]
• [Drilling] Only 35% of Americans support increasing oil drilling on public lands, with 39% opposed [AP + NORC]
• [Oil + Gas Subsidies] Voters support ending subsidies for oil and gas companies by a 48%-29% margin [Navigator]